Leucégène project: New breakthrough in the molecular characterization of acute myeloid leukemia

The multidisciplinary team comprising the Leucégène research group, a major project headed by Dr. Guy Sauvageau of the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) at the Université de Montréal and Dr. Josée Hébert of Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital (MRH), has just published a series of important observations on the genetic and molecular characteristics of two leukemia subtypes in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics. The results of the study also suggest the possibility of a new combinatorial therapeutic approach for certain leukemias.

The goal of the Leucégène project is to develop new tools for a more detailed classification of patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a view to improving outcomes and more effectively guiding the choice of available treatment options. AML is a highly aggressive blood cancer that kills close to 1,000 people a year in Canada. Because this is a very complex cancer, current prognostic tests are imprecise in assessing risks and treatment choices in most patients.

This study constitutes convincing validation of the chemogenomic approach developed by IRIC researchers and their colleagues.